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346 knowledge; questioned his claims to authority in many cases, and even denied the justice and legality of his decisions. The worst affliction came last on the list. A lawyer, familiarly known as "Old Put," with whom he had been on intimate terms for years, actually had the impudence to take an appeal to the County Court, and had one of his decisions reversed. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. Judge Hollowbarn, when the notice of the reversal of his decision was served upon him, was nearly prostrated by the shock, and for some days he hardly raised his head to respond when invited to drink. But in the end his strong and vigorous nature reasserted itself, and he rose equal to the emergency.

A few days after the occurrence of this disaster, Old Put had a case before him, and the Judge went in for even. In the face of the plain letter of the law, the testimony, and his own precedents, he decided squarely against Old Put's client. Then Put boiled over. Seating- himself on the edge of the Judge's table, he shook his fist under the nose of the impersonation of the majesty of the law, and proceeded to relieve himself as follows:

"And so you derned old skeesicks, you have gone back on me, have you? Cuss you; haven't I winked at your iniquities; put up with your impudence; excused your ignorance; borne with your ill-temper, and furnished you with the best whisky and grub in camp for months and months? And now, you infernal old scoundrel, you propose to throw off on me! I'll have you broke as sure as my name is"